Trouble Finds Everybody
by AerithYuna75
Summary: AU Story based off of characters in FLR: When Ari and Nila first arrive at Deling Academy after being transferred, their lives are thrown into something much more than a simple school rivalry.
1. Chapter 1: No Problem, Right?

**Yuna: This kind of started out because of the fact that our original run with the crossover included a high school portion at the beginning. Things didn't work out that way, and voila! Here we have two separate stories! Enjoy!**

**Aerith: Yuna's putting it lightly. We screwed up our first crossover so much it could be considered an alternate universe by itself. Seriously, we had _literal _plot holes. This is better, though - it's hilarious and it's actually labelled an AU. Hope you guys like it :)  
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**Disclaimer: We do not own Final Fantasy 6, 7, 8, or 10. We only wish to use this for the fun of writing. **

Chapter 1: No Problem…Right?

Ari's POV

"Ariana Kidman and Nila Resnin are to be sent to the office, please." The secretary's voice sounded over the PA in our study hall. It wasn't a surprise; Nila and I had been waiting for our transcripts to be processed for a couple days. At the end of the school day, we would no longer be enrolled in Timber Prep, but rather students at Deling Academy, the most prestigious prep school on the continent.

The petite girl sitting at our table sighed sadly. "...We're gonna miss you, Terra." I said, hugging the green-haired girl lightly. "Keep in touch, okay?"

"Of course I will," she said warmly, smiling slightly. "Although...you two will make so many friends, so I should be asking _you _to keep in touch..."

"Are you kidding? We're so nervous! I wish you were coming, you're so good at making friends..." Nila said sadly, hugging Terra tightly. "Oh Gaia, Terra, I miss you already..."

I slid my computer into my backpack, wrapping up my charger along with it. "...We need to get going." I said quietly, slinging my bag onto my shoulder.

Nila and Terra looked curiously close to tears as they hugged each other one last time. Then, with a heavy sigh, Nila picked up her bag and followed me out the door. "Well, it's goodbye to this life..." she said sadly as we walked down the deserted hallways to the office. Our footsteps echoed, making the silence feel louder than it really was.

"I'm sure gonna miss it." I said, running my hand along the dark polished wood of the wall. "...I have no idea what our new school's gonna look like."

"I hope the people are nice..." Nila said nervously, hugging herself as if she was protecting herself from school bullies. "Because we're not gonna be in the same classes..."

"We'll still see each other during lunch and after school!" I said optimistically, then sighed. "...You're right...the situation _sucks_."

"I can't even see a bright side to this!" she said exasperatedly, then shook her head. "We're just trying to convince ourselves this is gonna suck, aren't we?"

"I once again marvel at our keen grasp of the obvious." I muttered as we reached the front office. "...I just hope that things will turn out okay."

The dark-haired secretary smiled at us as we entered and ushered us down the dark hallway to the principal's office. She knocked softly on the door. "Come in," the prompt response came.

Feeling fleetingly like I had done something wrong, I opened the door and we stepped into the room.

Headmaster Martine was sitting at his desk, typing something into his laptop. He looked up as we entered and smiled. "Miss Resnin, Miss Kidman. Your transcripts await." He motioned to two manila folders on the edge of his desk. "It is sad to see you two go, but I personally feel that you both will thrive at Deling Academy."

"Thank you, Headmaster," Nila said softly. I could tell from her tone that she personally didn't think so. "We appreciate all you've done for us these past few years."

"You are most welcome."

"Headmaster...if I may ask..." I said timidly, "...What is this school like?"

He turned towards me, his glasses flashing in the dim light. "The coursework is extremely advanced. One needs to be well above average to be accepted and to do well. While I'm not sure about the social situation, I can tell you that you will find many people of your own intelligence level there."

"...Okay." I said uncertainly, then turned to the door as we heard incoming footsteps. It was my mother's chauffeur. He bowed stiffly to the headmaster. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I am here to pick Miss Nila and Miss Ariana, Headmaster."

Headmaster Martine nodded, smiling at us. "You may go, girls. I wish you the best."

* * *

Our first sight of the school did nothing to improve our opinions of it.

The sky was grey with clouds, and the spires of the castle rose up to meet it. It was constructed out of black stone, giving the whole place a thoroughly gloomy look that was not improved by the foreboding trees surrounding it on every side. It didn't appear to have many windows, either, so I could imagine how dark it was on the inside. The car was already going slow on the dangerously winding road, but I wished it would go slower.

"That is not where I want to spend the next nine months of my life," Nila said flatly as she leaned over to look out of my window. Sighing, she flopped back into her seat and hugged her knees to her. "I shouldn't be complaining...at least you're coming too."

I scowled at the building. "Why does it feel like we're going to school in a building that was built back when Hyne was still on Earth?"

"And here I was thinking that old, creepy castles only existed in stories..." she muttered, glaring at the building like it had done her some personal wrong.

My anxiety grew as the car rolled up to the front doors, which were two stories in height. Stepping out of the car, I immediately shivered at the biting cold of the wind. Grabbing my schoolbag, I waited for Nila before we walked up the stone steps to the doors. Our luggage had already been delivered to our rooms, and the main goal at the moment was getting to the front office.

As if on cue, the large doors swung open, greeting us with some slightly warmer air. I glanced back as the car drove off, and then turned back to face the dark interior.

We stood in the middle of the marble hallway, glancing down the arched hallways. I felt slightly intimidated by the sheer size of the place. Glancing up, I saw a large clock hanging from the ceiling, the only modernity in what could have otherwise been a castle from the Middle Ages. "...Hey, isn't it time for-"

As if on cue again, a bell rang, and the doors lining the hallways on all floors burst open simultaneously. "...Class to end." I finished dejectedly, groaning. "Not a good omen if we can't even get through the door."

"Think we should try navigating that mess?" Nila said, glancing at the flood of chattering students spreading in all directions. "Where _is _the main office, anyway?"

I grabbed her hand and we plunged into the middle of the mob. Weaving through the crowds of people, I saw a large sign that said "Front Office". Thank Hyne for obnoxiously large letters.

The only problem was getting through the people. We got jostled around for about five minutes against backpacks, books, pencils, and numerous other items that were going to leave bruises. Finally, I grasped the doorknob of the door and we tumbled inside. I sighed in relief as the secretary stared at us like we each had two heads. "...May I help you?" she said with a slight frown.

"Um, yes," Nila said in a small voice, "We just got transferred here and we were told to see the headmaster..."

"That would be me." A male voice said from the hallway to our left. We turned around to see the headmaster, a slightly stout middle aged man, smiling at us. Finally, somebody who looked friendly in this place...

"My two transfers from Timber Prep, yes?" he said kindly, extending his hand for us to shake. "Yes, come right this way...you both have your transcripts with you?"

"Yes, sir," we said together, and followed him down the hallway into a large office. He gestured for us to sit in the small wooden chairs facing his desk.

"Your transcripts, please," he said, rummaging around on his desk for a pair of reading glasses. We handed the folders to him, and he quickly scanned them.

"Yes, these are all in order...excellent students, the both of you. I've placed you in our most advanced classes, which I think you will find to your liking."

"Headmaster, we're still confused about some things...could you give us sort of a background?" I questioned.

"Yes. As you probably already saw, the students must wear a uniform. These are hanging in your closets in your dorms currently. You are girls, and therefore you will be wearing skirts, possibly slacks if need be. Please use discretion when wearing your uniform...although you two don't seem like the type to break the dress code. You have two sets of regular wear, and one set of formal wear. Casual clothing is permitted on holiday only, and during your extracurriculars, although I doubt you will be using them then. They will most likely provide you with clothing suited to that subject. For balls and such, you will be allowed to wear any formal wear you like. Again, use discretion."

"Next, your schedules..." Headmaster Cid rummaged around in a drawer and pulled out two sheets of paper. Handing them to us and chuckling at the slightly puzzled expressions on our faces, he continued, "They are confusing to read, I know. But you'll find that the students in your classes will be much the same, since the advanced students are all placed in the same classes. They can help you find your way around, but if you need assistance, there is a map on the back of your schedule. Elective choices are coming up soon; you two arrived at a fairly convenient time."

"Also, your keycards and rooming assignments..." He drew out two lanyards with various keys hanging from them. "These contain your meal cards, student IDs, and dorm keys...don't lose them. And as for rooming assignments...Miss Resnin, you are going to be with a young girl by the name of Tifa Lockhart, room 109. As for you, Miss Kidman, you will be with a girl named Yuna Braska, room 105."

"I believe that is all...if you have any further questions, feel free to ask any of your classmates." The headmaster gave us both kind smiles. "Are you ready?"

"We think so." I said, smiling slightly.

"Oh, and the dorms are located in the back of the quad." Headmaster Cid added.

"Thank you, sir," Nila said softly. "I think we should be able to find our way with no problem...right, Ari?" I nodded, and Cid dismissed us.


	2. Chapter 2: Roommates

**Aerith: Ah, character development. It's kind of like coffee. Too little, and you feel deprived and hungover. Too much is just bad for you. That was a terrible analogy, I know :P but you know its true. Anyways, enjoy this chapter...the plot is about to get started...**

**Yuna: Speaking of bad analogies...ah, never mind. The two roommates are presented in this chapter (yay!), and we more special guests. And as Aerith said, it's pretty much character development. We tried to make it interesting, though. Hopefully we'll update soon...otherwise, enjoy! (I know, I suck at author's notes...)**

* * *

Chapter 2: Roommates

The walk to the dorms was relatively quick with the map we were given. We passed throngs of students, all who seemed to take notice of us, much to our chagrin. Whispers followed us like mosquitoes as we made our way up a curving staircase and into the hallway that had a plaque labelled, 'Dorms'. It was low ceilinged compared to the rest of the school, with dim lighting and carpeted floors. At the far end, I could see a lounge and a group of students leaving it. We were just entering the hallway when the group passed us...actually, make that crashed into us. They didn't seem to come within a five foot radius of us, so they just stopped and stared at us like we were circus attractions.

"Oh, whaddya know..." A blonde-haired girl with large hairpins and excessive makeup sneered, glancing appraisingly at the two of us. "...Newbies." She was currently hanging onto the arm of a spiky haired redhead, who smirked widely at us and looked us up and down in an entirely uncomfortable manner.

"Look at them, they're so _small_," said a tall silver-haired girl who somehow managed to make the chaste uniform look like a clubbing outfit. Despite myself, I wondered how in Gaia's name she had managed to get past school regulations wearing it like that.

"So is your uniform." I remarked, smiling at her.

"Ooh, they're sassy, too," she hissed, baring her teeth in a cruel looking smile. "Well, we'll teach them their place here, won't we?" There were murmurs of agreement and a few evil sounding laughs. These kids sure weren't your normal clique, that was for sure...

"What, that we're above you?" I questioned.

"Yeah, who says wearing way too much horrible makeup makes you any better?" Nila added icily with an innocent smile up at the girl. Despite the fact that she still looked about fourteen, with her dark hair in a braid and wide brown eyes, Nila could fend for herself surprisingly well.

Another murmur went around the group, this time rather angry sounding. "You've got nerve, shorty," the tall girl said disdainfully, an ugly expression passing over her face.

"The both of them, they think they're so good," the blonde girl said with a stone cold look at the both of us.

"The only egos I see are the ones belonging to all of you." I replied, crossing my arms and leveling her gaze. I had a good four inches on her, which helped.

One of the boys, a belligerent looking guy with strikingly blue hair, stepped forward, his fist raised as if to punch me. I felt Nila flinch slightly and she muttered, "Let's not cause trouble on our first day here, Ari."  
"Me, trouble?" I asked, grinning.

"Come on," Nila said, grabbing my sleeve and dragging me around the group of people. Turning back to them, she smiled again and said, "Sorry, we don't want to catch the weirdness...we've heard it's contagious." Before they had time to retort, she marched down the hallway with me in tow. "Wow, we've made some great first impressions," she remarked dryly as we walked quickly in the opposite direction, not bothering to look behind us to see if they were following.

"Oh, come on. That was totally fun." I said sarcastically.

"Yeah, getting on the bad side of the most popular kids at school...that's great fun." Nila sighed exasperatedly. "Oh, look. This is your room, I think."

"Oh, that's sweet." I said, smiling at the engraved nameplate on the door. I fished through my bag and pulled out my keycard. Sliding it in, the door unlocked, and I stepped into a large room with polished wood floors and light blue walls. Obviously the girl who lived here was very beachy; the wall around her was covered with hangings of shells, and her comforter was hibiscus print. I turned back to Nila. "You can go to your room if you want."

"Sure...see you later." With a nervous smile at me, she turned and walked further down the hallway. I heard a click as her door unlocked, and the quiet sound of her shutting it.

I turned back to the room, sighing. Upon further inspection, I found that my roommate had a summoning staff. Cool...I would have to ask her about it later. There was a certain calm around her area, and I glanced back at my own bare part of the room ruefully. Time to get to work.

First, the uniform. Quickly changing into the perfectly ironed one that matched everyone else's, I opened my suitcase to the mountain of neatly folded clothes. First I organized the shirts, hanging them up on the provided hangers. I folded my gym clothes, and then hung up my jeans and shorts. I placed my shoes at the bottom, and then my towel and toiletries on the shelf. That done, I closed the closet after putting one empty suitcase in. I turned to the bed, and grabbed my sheets. After putting my sky blue mattress cover sheet on, I placed my white sheet and blue comforter on.

I was putting my suitcases under my bed when I was startled by the sound of the door opening. In haste to get myself straightened out, I whacked my head on the bed and turned to see my roommate standing there, an amused look on her face. Her chocolate brown hair was cut shoulder-length, and a long blue earring decorated with beads hung from her left ear. Her eyes were two different colors; one was blue, and one was green.

"Salutations," I said, rubbing my head and sticking my hand out. "You're Yuna Braska?"

The girl laughed. "Yes. I assume you're Ariana?" At my nod, she grinned. "I've been waiting for so long to meet you! I finally have a roommate!"

"As you saw, I'm a bit of a klutz." I said, sighing. "Also, I may look like a neat freak, but give it a day or two and everything will be strewn all over the place."

"Oh, that's alright. I'm not great at keeping things organized either," Yuna replied with a friendly smile. "You caught me on one of my better days, actually."

"Ah, that's good, I guess." I said, glancing at her side of the room. "I like your setup though."

"Thank you..." she glanced at her watch. "Hey...dinner's soon. Do you wanna head down to the dining hall? I want to introduce you to my friends."

"I think I'd like that." I said, smiling.

* * *

I timidly knocked on the door of my room, and when nobody answered, I quietly slid my keycard in and entered. The room was built in the same style as Ari's, and was certainly much bigger than the ones we had lived in at Timber Prep. Upon further inspection, I found that there was a small area to the left of the entrance for washing up, with a slightly cracked sink and shelves for storing toothbrushes and the like. A door to the bathroom to the left of the sink had been left slightly ajar.

My roommate had gone out of the way to decorate her side of the room with numerous posters of famous martial artists. A pair of leather gloves with some nasty looking metal studs lay on the desk, the only blot on an otherwise perfectly organized room. Her bedspread was decorated with chocobos; I had to stifle a laugh.

Well, it looked like my roommate would be...interesting, to say the least.

Sighing, I went to my side of the room and opened the closet. Two freshly pressed black skirts and two blue blouses hung on the hanger, and I grabbed one to try on. It fit me perfectly, surprisingly. Smiling to myself, I walked over to unpack my luggage. I had brought my old posters from my room at home, and a wave of homesickness almost drowned me as I hung them up in exactly the same places they had been before.

The desk chair I was standing on was a bit wobbly, and I almost fell off when the door suddenly unlocked and somebody walked in. I must have looked strange, with a poster of a howling wolf half on the wall and myself almost falling off the chair. Curse my affinity for bad first impressions.

"Hi." Her voice sounded friendly, at least. I turned around to smile at the girl, who admittedly was not the person I'd pin as a martial artist. She wasn't much taller than me, and was very pretty, with dark brown hair to her knees and maroon eyes accentuated by pale skin - but she looked more like the type who liked reading. "You're...Nila?"

"Yeah, that's me!" Grinning, I jumped off the chair and shook her hand. "Tifa, right?"

"Yup. You need help with those?" Tifa laughed softly at the slightly crooked job I had done hanging up my posters. I couldn't help it; I laughed too. "That would be great, thanks."

Smiling, Tifa hopped up onto the chair and straightened out the poster decorated with blue flowers I had hung above my bed. Leaving her to it, I unlocked my suitcase and sighed at the sheer amount of stuff I had to organize.

First things first. I threw my slightly worn down stuffed wolf onto the bed, and my flowery bedsheets after it. Tifa laughed again and I turned around to see her holding my stuffed toy. I blushed slightly - most eighteen year olds still didn't sleep with toys they had owned as long as they could remember...

"This is cute," she said, grinning and putting it down. Somewhere in the back of my mind, in the part that told me who was good and who wasn't, it clicked that we would become good friends. Laughing sheepishly, I replied, "Yeah...I had to bring him, even though I'm too old. Reminds me of home, you know?"

"Yeah..." There was a trace of wistfulness in her voice. "What's his name?"

"Fenrir. Tough name for a cute toy."

"Fenrir?" Tifa said, laughing slightly. "...That's the name of my friend's motorcycle."

"Oh...wow, that's so awkward." I burst out laughing despite myself. "Introduce me, I'd like to meet him and tell him that his totally masculine motorcycle shares a name with my stuffed toy."

"The fact that he never stops talking about it is kinda the funny part." she replied, her wine-colored eyes twinkling mischievously. "So I think I will."

"Oh, I'm sure..." I was giggling uncontrollably by now. Leaning against the closet door to catch my breath, I grinned and said, "Excellent, I have something to look forward to. Unpacking really puts a damper on your day, hm?"

"Yeah," she said sympathetically, moving out of the way as I threw my bundle of multicolored quilts onto the bed. "...Hey, do we have any classes together?"

"See for yourself, I haven't a clue how to read this schedule," I said dryly, reaching into my backpack and handing her the piece of paper. I resisted the childish urge to stick my tongue out at it; the brightly colored blocks of text and arrows could have been written in a different language. She examined it as I quickly stuffed my clothes into drawers, slightly embarrassed at my relative lack of them. Where I came from, having more than three different outfits was considered wasteful. I had managed to put together six, but half of them were casual sundresses that I wouldn't be wearing much anyways. I just hoped I hadn't forgotten anything at home...that sounded exactly like something I would do.

Toothbrush, check. Soap and shampoo, check. Accessory box...oh, I would kill myself if I had forgotten this one...I sighed in relief as I dug it out from the bottom of my bag. Extra pair of shoes, check. Phone...oh, _Gaia_, no...never mind, it was in my pocket. I quickly went around organizing my stuff, not wanting to appear like _too _much of a slob.

"You've got Phys Ed, Physics, and History with me," Tifa called out as I organized the area around my sink. "Thank Gaia I have someone in History now, the teacher's a bore..."

"How did you _read _that?" I said in awe, poking my head around the corner to look at her. "Seriously, it all looks like a bunch of letters and numbers and colors to me..."

"Yeah, it takes a while. It's not so bad, though...I know a lot of the people in your classes, I can probably get them to help you. You got a pencil on you?"

"Yup!" I scrabbled around at the bottom of my backpack and handed her one. She scribbled some things onto my schedule and handed it back to me. "There. I put all the classrooms on there and such."

"You're a lifesaver, Tifa," I said with a sigh of relief. "Thanks for all your help..."

"No problem," she said with a warm smile. "I'm glad I got you as my roommate."

Touched, I spontaneously threw my arms around her in a hug. "That's the nicest thing anybody's said to me all day, thank you!"

Laughing, she replied, "I speak the truth. Now...oh wow, dinner's in about ten minutes. We should get going...I want to introduce you to my friends."

Grinning, I dropped Fenrir back on his resting place on my pillow, and hauled my bag onto my shoulder. "Alright, let's go. I have a boy to embarrass the hell out of."

* * *

The dining hall was huge, with tables that stretched out in front of me as far as I could see. There must have been thousands, or at the very least hundreds, of students there. I felt rather overwhelmed...Timber Prep hadn't even been half this size, but Tifa looked completely relaxed. She did this every day, after all. "Let's go claim our table. This way..." She guided me through the mess of students to a table at the far end of the cafeteria, where it was exponentially quieter. "Just leave your stuff here."

"Sounds good!" I said cheerfully, dumping my bag down the bench.

"Oh, look...my friends are coming. Hey, guys!" Tifa waved her hand and dragged me over to the large table. At least a dozen people were seated there. "Okay, so there's Quistis, Selphie, Irvine, Zell, Paine -" I wanted to tell her to slow down, I had been lost at the first name, but she seemed to be on a roll. "Squall, Cloud, Yuffie, Rikku, Tidus, Yuna, Zack, and-" She stopped as she saw...Ari. "Do you know her?"

"Yeah...that's my friend, Ari. She just transferred here too." I said, waving at her. She grinned and waved back, then resumed her conversation with the brown-haired girl sitting next to her.

"Oh, well then she must be Yuna's roommate." Tifa concluded, sitting down and motioning towards the lines of people standing in line for food. "Go get something to eat! You must be starving."

"Not really, actually." Excitement did wonders for your appetite. "I'll grab something when the lines get smaller."

"If you say so..." Tifa gestured to the seat next to her. "Here, sit - oh, hey, Cloud." She smiled at a blonde boy who took his seat across from her in a way that immediately told me she had a crush on him. I grinned to myself as they struck up a conversation and turned away, not wanting to intrude.

Sitting on the other side of me was an extremely tall guy with spiky black hair and bright blue eyes. Good looking, too, if you wanted to go there. He grinned at me, and I returned his smile shyly. "Hi."

"Greetings." He stuck out his hand for me to shake, but there was a roll in it. "Sorry...hiding that from Tidus. I'm trying to chuck it at him but Irvine's head is in the way." Putting it on his knee, he stuck his hand out. "Zack Fair, senior at Deling Academy and hero in training. Nice to meet you..." He paused, realizing he didn't know my name.

"Nila...Nila Resnin. I just transferred here." It occurred to me suddenly that this was probably the guy Tifa was talking about...he certainly seemed the type, although he reminded me of a puppy more than a wolf. On an impulse I asked, "Hey, I think Tifa mentioned you..."

Tifa turned around from her conversation to see us talking and grinned. "Hey, puppy dog!" Apparently I wasn't the only one who had drawn that analogy. "She's got a stuffed wolf with the same name as your motorcycle!" she called, smirking at his dawning expression.

"And the best part is that your motorcycle will forever be mixed up with a cute and fuzzy stuffed animal," I said cheerfully to him, struggling to keep a completely straight face.

He groaned and fell dramatically onto the shoulder of the guy sitting next to him, who had long brown hair tied in a ponytail and currently had a girl with short brown hair under his arm. "Zack, get your spikes off me!" The guy said indignantly, shoving him.

"Yeah, sorry to bust up the whole, 'I'm so cool because I have a motorcycle with an amazing name,' thing you must have had going on there," I said before cracking up.

Zack leaned over, sticking his face uncomfortably close to mine. To my credit, I didn't move away. "You're evil." he managed to say before starting to laugh at my hurt expression. "Nah, I'm just kidding. I like you...you've got some spunk."

Blushing slightly at the compliment, I laughed and looked down, embarrassed. "Thanks...you know, you actually took that a lot better than I thought you would..."

"Eh, if you had said that to Cloud, or especially Squall for that matter, they would have gone ballistic." The blonde boy Tifa liked and a brown haired guy with a grumpy expression etched into his face glared at him, and the blonde flipped him off before resuming eating.

"...I can see that happening," I said, grinning. "Are they the, 'I am _not _compensating for anything!' type?"

"...Possibly. I wouldn't know." I had to fight the urge to say that I sincerely hoped he didn't. "Ask Tifa about Cloud." Oh, so I _had _been right about that. Wow, my guesses today were pretty lucky.

"Oh, well, _that's _awkward. So what, should I just turn around and ask, 'Hey, Tifa! Is Cloud compensating for anything?' That's not weird at all. In fact, it sounds like exactly the kind of thing I would say." Smirking and turning to Tifa, I asked, "Hey, Tifa, is Cloud compensating for anything?" I didn't miss the faint blush that appeared, although she tried to hide it. "Ask Zack if he's compensating for anything." she replied nonchalantly, looking bored.

"Hm, good point. _Are _you?" Fighting back a laugh at his expression, I raised an eyebrow at him. "She's got a point, you know."

"Just because I have a huge broadsword - and a rather large motorbike - does not mean I am compensating!" For a moment, he sounded like an indignant toddler.

"Broadsword?" I smirked, putting a hand over my mouth to stifle a laugh. "You do realize that did absolutely nothing to convince me, right?"

"Well, at least I don't ride in a sidecar like Cloud." He muttered mutinously, ruffling his already messy hair so that it stuck up at the back. "...Jeez, you say one thing wrong and you never live it down in this group."

"You still haven't answered my question!" I said in a singsong voice.

"Think of it as directly proportional." he said, grinning triumphantly.

I stared at him for a second before going beet red and putting my face in my hands. "Ugh," I groaned. "I should have known that one would backfire on me."

"Oh, so you're one of those math people then." Zack grinned suggestively. "I've always been interested in your species." And he was one of those sporty types, which meant that his previous statement was completely valid. Jocks_ were _interested in my species, but not usually in a good way, as I had found out from experience. This boy didn't seem the type to bully, though. "What gave it away? My permanently distracted expression?"

"Lucky guess." He handed me a roll of bread. "Want something to eat?"

"Um...isn't that the one you were hiding from him?" I said hesitantly, pointing at the blonde-haired boy.

"Hiding from Tidus? No...I eat a lot of bread." he replied sheepishly, ruffling his hair.

"Oh, so that's where you get all your energy...the carb overload." Grinning, I took the roll from him. "Thanks, anyways."

"No problem." He suddenly grinned as if an idea had hit him. "Hey...I'd like to get to know you better...do you wanna meet up sometime?"

Willing myself not to blush, I replied innocently, "Did you just ask me out? Cause that's sure what it sounded like."

"Call it what you like. It's not everyday I meet a girl like you."

I really did blush this time...which was unusual, since I usually wasn't this easily embarrassed. "Aw, thanks...that was really nice of you. And yes, I'd love to meet up sometime."

Zack stood up, kissing my hand lightly. "I'll email you the time. I'd love to stay, but I need to leave..."

"Quite the gentleman, hm?" I said, tilting my head and grinning at him. "Hey...I don't have your number...here." Grabbing a marker out of my bag, I scribbled down my number on his hand. "Because I'm going to forget to check my email, just watch me."

"See you around." He grinned at me one last time before disappearing around a corner at the far end of the cafeteria. I found myself staring at the place he had vanished, and I mentally scolded myself. Don't go crushing on boys the first day here, Nila... He certainly was cute, though. Anybody sane could see that.

Glancing over, I saw that Ari had gotten something to eat, and was currently conversing with Tidus and her roommate, along with Cloud, and the guy I presumed to be Squall...except he looked more like he was ready to murder someone. His name certainly fit his personality...and I had thought that _I _was antisocial. Smirking slightly, I walked over next to Ari and sat down next to her. "Hey, what are you guys talking about?" I asked brightly.

"The mean kids," Ari said at the same time that Cloud said under his breath, "War."

"Um...what?" I asked apprehensively. War never sounded good...in any context.

"A declaration," Squall muttered, glaring at me with icy blue eyes. "...of war. Basically they will go out of their way to make your lives as miserable as possible."

"Bring it on." Ari said, glaring across the tables, her green gaze fixating on one in particular. I followed her line of sight to spot the clique sitting some distance away, laughing and talking like everybody sitting around them. "They're a bunch of amateurs. Where are they, anyway?"

"We'll get them back later," I said to her cheerfully, smirking slightly at all the possibilities of pranks.

"Well, I want to go to the library." Ari said, smiling slightly. Tapping the brunette guy, Squall, on the shoulder, she asked, "Can you show me?"

"...Yeah, I guess," he muttered after a noticeable moment of hesitation.

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**Read and review, please! Every critique is immensely appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3: Stories and Studs

**Yuna: Ahehehe...a two-in-one for me. Just for a reference point...Ari and Rufus have a rather...weird relationship. Okay, I'm gonna go hide now.**

Ari's POV

"This is it." Squall motioned to the three story expanse of space, filled with books and desks and computers. I immediately loved it. Everything was a dark polished wood, giving it a sophisticated feel.

"...It's amazing." I said, staring up at the towering shelves of books and the decorative ceiling. "And so quiet."

"That's what I like about it," Squall replied. When I glanced over at him, I noticed that the bored expression that he always seemed to wear had disappeared.

I tugged on his arm lightly. "Come on...show me around. I want to see everything!"

"Uh, sure..." He looked distinctly uncomfortable, but led me down a hallway to the left to a set of bookshelves. We gradually made our way up to the third floor, reviewing all the sections of the floors.

But the third floor was the best. A couple lounge areas were scattered around, and some small niches proved to be good for private reading. A large balcony in the back overlooked the sprawling back lawns of the campus. I wandered off slightly, and came across an area hidden very well by bookshelves and walls. I was about to step inside when someone grabbed my arm, and I turned to see Squall frowning deeply at mel. "Don't go in there."

"...Why?"

"_They_ like to meet up there." The disgust Squall managed to put into that one word told me exactly who he was referring to.

"They're not here...it's not like it matters." I replied, putting my foot down in the area. No alarms. "See? Nothing to be worried about."

"Think twice on that, darling," a female voice purred from behind us. Squall cursed under his breath and seemingly forced himself to turn around. "Piss off, Ultimecia."

"Don't be like that, darling." She let go of the arm of a silver-haired guy that she had been holding and walked over to Squall, running her long nails along his cheek. "I find that demeanor quite endearing."

"I said, piss off." He swatted her hand away, glaring at her.

"We were here long before you were, honey. You're the ones who should piss off." Ultimecia's sugary tone was slowly turning icy.

"Quick question," I said, stepping in. "Are all of your friends like that, or is it just you?"

Ultimecia turned to me and smiled cruelly. "You tell me, Miss Unpopular. Hanging out with the dorks...way to start your school year."

"Way to start making crappy comebacks and names for me." I replied in a overly sweet tone. "I do appreciate that you use your only brain cell on me."

Ultimecia's expression turned stormy in a matter of milliseconds. She opened her mouth to retort, but the tall silver-haired boy stopped her. "Ignore her, Ultimecia," he said flatly. "She's just a loudmouthed newbie."

"I appreciate being welcomed so warmly by you," I said sarcastically to the guy, stepping towards him. "Let me guess...you're the jock boyfriend. Am I right?"

"If by jock you mean team captain of every sports team this school has to offer, then yes, you are correct," he replied arrogantly.

"You mean captain of all the girls' teams, right?" I questioned, smirking.

The boy didn't flinch. "It sounds as if you're poking fun at your own gender."

"Oh, so you do suck at sports." I raised my eyebrows. "Well...for the ego that you have, that sure took a lot to admit it."

"I'm curious as to how you drew that conclusion from my previous statement," he said in a deadpan tone.

"Don't want you to have less brain cells than your girlfriend. Sorry." I smirked at them one last time before turning around and marching off. Squall was close on my heels, and he muttered to me, "You're an idiot, you know that?"

"Considering that they're stupid, it's really no big deal to me. I didn't want to come here in the first place, truthfully." I said, continuing to stride across the lawns of the quad.

"I don't know about his girlfriend, but Sephiroth is a genius. You'd do well not to mess with him," Squall said flatly. "Especially if they find out you didn't want to come...they'll go even more out of their way to screw up your life good."

"Thank you for those kind words of wisdom." I replied as we reached the dorms. "I appreciate you taking me to see the library...I just want to quickly take a walk. I'll see you later."

"Yeah," he said coolly. "I will." With that, he disappeared up the steps, and I stepped out into the quad again.

Finding a small archway, I discovered that it led to the back of the school. It was starting to get dark, but the sun was still present. I had some time. Heading down a gravel path, I slowly walked along the small road, breathing in the fall air. Finally, after a hectic day I could relax a little.  
I suddenly heard the jingling of dog tags, and turned to see a rather large black dog bounding toward me. Stopping in front of me, it's tail was wagging a mile a minute, and it had a stick in its mouth. Kneeling down, I let the dog sniff my hand before reaching out and stroking its head. I glanced at the dog tags for some sort of identification. "...Your name's Dark Nation..." I said, smiling at the black dog. "...It fits...but why are you here? I thought pets weren't allowed...otherwise I would have brought Angelo." I glanced at her. "...Where's your owner, girl?" I muttered, scratching her ears.

"That would be me." I jumped up, startled, to see a tall blonde boy with icy blue eyes walking towards the dog. He whistled, and the dog immediately snapped up and bounded to his side. Giving me an appraising glance, he said, "I don't believe I've seen you around, Miss...?"

"Ariana Kidman." I replied. "...I just transferred here with one of my friends. It's nice to find a friendly face for once. And you are?"

"Rufus Shinra, pleased to make your acquaintance." He held out his hand for me to shake. I took it, then stiffened slightly as I recognized the name. "You don't happen to be related to President Shinra...do you?"

The small smile on Rufus's face faded slightly. "Yes, he's my father."

"Oh...I didn't mean to pry." I said, feeling slightly flustered. "I mean, I totally understand about the whole relating to famous people thing-oh, why did I just say that?" I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "...Uh...forget I said that?"

"Oh, but now I'm curious." Rufus laughed softly and leaned slightly closer to me. "Who are you related to, Miss Kidman?"

"Promise not to tell anyone?" I asked, and at his nod, continued. "...My mom is Julia Kidman...and my dad...well..." I paused, shaking my head. "No...I can't tell anyone."

"Why not?" he asked curiously.

"...I would be judged." I said flatly, turning away. "...My father's General Fury Caraway."

Rufus stared at me disbelievingly, then suddenly laughed. "I'm sure you're as brilliant as he is, hm?"

I shrugged. "...I dunno...maybe..."

"I'm sure I'll see you in many of my classes," Rufus said smoothly with a small bow to me. "You're one of the advanced students, hm?"

"Yeah," I replied, nodding and smiling slightly. "...It's nice to know that you're going to be there."

"The same can be said for me...Ariana. Could I see your schedule, if you don't mind?"

"Um...yeah, lemme find it." I fished around in my bag for a moment before procuring it and handing the piece of paper to him. "I don't understand one bit of it."

"You should have been there freshman year," he said darkly, examining my schedule closely. "It was a nightmare. Interesting...I've got economics, math, and computer science with you. Also theater and dance."

"...We have _dance_?" I said, feeling slightly alarmed. "...But I'm _horrid_ at that."

Rufus laughed softly and handed me back my schedule. "It's mandatory, don't worry. You won't be the only one there who hates it."

"I'm doomed." I put my head in my hands. "...I don't mind the theater...but dance? That for me is like a bull in a china shop."

"It's not as bad as you think," Rufus said lightly. "...I could be your partner and teach you, if you wanted."

"...Rufus, I'll probably skip." I said, shrugging. "I can't accept that offer. Not unless you want to keep your feet."

"No, no, I insist," he said with a small smile. "I'm not great either...perhaps we could learn together."

"Okay...it's a deal." I said, glancing at him shyly, then felt myself blush slightly. Grinning, I said quietly, "...Thanks."

"The pleasure's all mine." Rufus's eyes flicked over my face and he laughed. "No need to be so embarrassed, you know."

His comment made my cheeks grow warmer. "...What makes you...ah, dammit."

"Anybody would have noticed. It's alright, you don't have to hide it." Rufus said, smiling as my blush deepened.

"You seem used to it." I replied, trying to change the subject slightly.

"I can't deny I've had practice," Rufus said, chuckling to himself and scratching his dog behind the ears.

"Aren't we not allowed to have pets?" I questioned, kneeling down and stroking Dark Nation's muzzle gently.

"Who said that? Even I can't twist rules like that here." Dark Nation woofed softly and stuck her face into mine.

"At my old school, we weren't allowed to." I replied, almost falling over as Dark Nation nudged me. "I would love to bring my dog."

"You should...this is a good place for animals." Rufus laughed as Dark Nation bowled me over and planted her paws on my chest. "She likes you...that's quite an honor."

I laughed slightly. "...I guess so. It's a good thing I'm a big dog person." I scratched the dog's ears affectionately. "...How long have you had her?"

"Since I was a boy; I got her as a puppy." Rufus knelt down next to me and rubbed Dark Nation's flank. "How about your dog?"

"Ever since my mother died." I said quietly. "My father gave him to me as a companion. But I had to leave him with my dad when I went off to boarding school."

"Oh." Rufus's tone turned slightly somber. "I'm sorry to hear about your mother..." A shadow seemed to pass over his face, and he turned away from me.

"It's alright...hey, is something wrong?" I asked softly, reaching out and taking his hand gently.

"We have rather similar life stories. It's rather ironic." Rufus didn't pull his hand away. "...Your hands are cold," he said softly, gently rubbing my hands to get some warmth back into them.

"...They're always cold." I replied, feeling a slight tingling in my hands as his made contact with mine. I willed myself not to blush as I felt my heart thumping in my ears. "...Don't worry about it."

"Too late. We should be getting inside anyways...the sun's setting." Rufus gently pulled me to my feet. "They're quite strict about curfew here."

I just realized how cold it had gotten, and shivered slightly. "...Alright, let's go."

Rufus walked with me to the door, keeping a light grip on my hand. "...I believe I have business to attend to, so I shall see you tomorrow."

Before I had any time to react, he bent down and kissed me on the cheek. "It was nice meeting you," he whispered, letting go of my hand and giving me a small smile before disappearing into the shadows of the dark hallway.


	4. Chapter 4: Truth or Dare

**Yuna: *pulls self out of hole of hiatus* Why hello there...what year is it, pray tell?  
Yup, it's been forever since this was updated...but eh, nice longer chappie. All ze secrets and shtuff shall be spilled...as in, Truth or Dare sort.**

**Aerith: Do I even have to mention how much I love Truth or Dare? We haven't even added the boys into this yet. ...Then again, that might be better since that'll probably just turn into Seven Minutes in Heaven. **

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Ari's POV:

When I opened the door to my dorm, I was greeted by a bunch of loud music and girls. "...Yuna?" I asked, scanning the room for my roommate.

"Hey!" she said, waving from where she was sitting on her bed. "Welcome to Friday night girl parties! Where've you been?"

"...Out..." I replied cryptically, grinning at her.

"You have to tell us! There are no secrets in this room." Yuna said, grinning suggestively. "Of course, what goes on in this room stays in this room...the boys are always trying to break in."

I shook my head, plunking my bag down next to my desk. "Sorry, ladies, but I'm not saying a word."

"Oh, you're no fun!" Yuna pouted, then her grin returned. "We'll get it out of you in Truth or Dare, don't worry."

"And we'll get the inside scoop on you and Tidus. We know you're hiding things." I said, smirking at her.

Yuna went crimson and stuck out her tongue at me. "You're impossible," she said exasperatedly. "Well, come join the party...we were waiting for you to start the game."

I sighed, rolling my eyes and sitting down between her and a blonde-haired girl I hadn't met yet. "...What's your name?" I questioned, smiling slightly at her. "I'm Ari."

She gave me a huge grin. "I'm Rikku, nice to meet you! You're Yunie's new roommate, right?" lol thats weird way too used to calling you that

"Yup!" I said, grinning. "...What grade are you in?" junior

"I'm a junior, but Yunie invites me and Yuffie," she pointed to another girl with short black hair and a mischievous smile sitting across from us in the circle, "to the Friday night parties."

"All right, all right!" Selphie called. "Hush up! The bottle is about to be spun." She said it solemnly, like it was sacred or something. "Oh, goddess of Truth or Dare, come down and bless this heavenly bottle!" She held up the plastic water bottle, and we all cracked up. "Okay...who's first!" She spun it around, and it landed on a blonde-haired girl who I hadn't seen either. "Quistis!" Selphie crowed, smirking. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth. If you're the one making up the dares, I won't take a chance." Quistis raised an eyebrow at the smirk on Selphie's face. "See?"

Selphie hummed a little tune as she thought. "Okay...do you like Seifer?"

Quistis started to say, "N-" but a dark blush colored her cheeks and she rested her face in her hands, groaning. "You got me there."

Selphie handed her the bottle triumphantly. "Go, Quisty!" The blonde spun the bottle, and it landed on Tifa. "Alright." Quistis's horrified face morphed into a rather cunning looking one. "Truth or Dare, Tifa?"

"Dare. Because I know what the Truth question will be." There were a few giggles from around the circle, and Tifa went slightly red.

"Okay..." Quistis tapped her chin for a moment, then smiled. "I got it. Tifa, I dare you...when the time comes, of course...to ask Cloud to the Christmas ball."

"What?!" Tifa shrieked, her eyes widening in horror. "Quistis, truth! Truth! Please!"

"Too late," Quistis said, smirking at Tifa's expression. "Sounds good, doesn't it, girls?" Everybody cheered, and Quistis said decisively, "You have to do it." Tifa groaned and put her face in her hands. "Oh, come on. You like him, would you just admit it already?"

Tifa flopped back onto the floor. "But he's...ugh, he's too sexy to ask!"

Rikku wolf-whistled loudly and everybody burst out laughing. "All the more reason, then," Nila said teasingly, giving Tifa a shove.

"That's it." Tifa grabbed the bottle, and it spun around to face Nila. "Truth...or dare?"

"Truth," Nila said cheerfully.

Tifa smiled mischievously at her. "Ah, thank you. So...Nila...you got a crush on Zack yet?"

Nila did a double take and turned to look at Tifa, frowning. "I just met him, Tifa..."

"But you two really hit it off, by the looks of it." Tifa was smirking slightly.

"Yeah, he's nice," Nila said dismissively, "but that doesn't mean I like like him."

"Oh, fine." She handed the bottle to Nila, who spun it. It landed on Yuffie, and Nila smirked. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare! The White Rose of Wutai can take anything!" Yuffie called, pumping her fist.

Nila looked stuck for a moment, then Tifa whispered something in her ear. "Okay...apparently you have to go up to Professor Valentine, and ask him on a date."

Yuffie's eyes went wide with protest. "That's...we're not allowed to ask teachers out! And he's old!"

"No, he's not," Tifa said, rolling his eyes. "Okay, fine. We dare you to steal that bandana he always is wearing. Use whatever methods necessary."

Yuffie looked slightly sick. "...Okay." Taking the bottle, she spun it, and it landed on Rikku. "Yes!" Yuffie cheered. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare!" Rikku said, grinning.

"I dare you to prank call Gippal!" Yuffie said, smirking. "Within the next week!"

Rikku didn't blink an eye, but she went slightly red at the mention of Gippal's name. "What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to pretend to be a secret admirer!" Yuffie said, clapping her hands.

Rikku stared at her in disbelief before facepalming. "I shouldn't have asked that. Oh, poopie..." She grabbed a hold of the bottle and spun it. It landed on a silver-haired girl I didn't recognize. "Paine! Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Do you think Squall is sexy?"

Paine looked at her disdainfully. "No." Grabbing the bottle, she spun it, and it landed on Selphie. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth." Selphie bounced up and down, grinning.

"Someone else call it out." Paine said, sitting back against my bed, looking slightly bored but had a twinkle in her eyes. Quistis smirked at Selphie. "What base have you and Irvine gotten to?"

Selphie looked positively mortified. "...Uh...second?" We all burst out laughing again. She grabbed a hold of the bottle, blushing furiously, and spun it. It landed on Yuna. "Okay...I already asked something." Selphie said. "Ari, you ask her something."

"Truth or dare, Yuna?" I asked, elbowing her lightly.

"Truth." she replied calmly.

"Alright...what haven't you told us about you and Tidus?" I asked, scooting so I was facing her.

"Absolutely nothing." she replied triumphantly, crossing her arms. "...Ari, you're the only one who hasn't been asked. And it's my turn. Truth or dare?"

I stood up. "I need to go get something...I forgot."

"You're not getting away that easy!" She and Rikku grabbed my arms and pulled me back down to a sitting position. "Alright...who was the boy you were talking to near the archway at the back of the school?

"What boy?" I asked, tilting my head in confusion. "And I didn't choose whether I wanted Truth or Dare!"

"Either way, we have the same question. Don't try to act innocent." Yuna smiled sweetly at me. "'Fess up already."

"Was it Squall?" Rikku questioned, grinning. "I think he likes you."

"It wasn't Squall." I said, shaking my head. "Good luck getting me to talk."

Yuna and Rikku glanced at each other and grinned. "Plan B," Yuna said, grinning at the confused expression on my face. "We'll get the boys in here if you don't tell us."

"Fine, then." I said, smirking. "Go ahead." I absentmindedly plucked a piece of dog hair off my shirt. "Hey," Yuna said suddenly, grabbing my hand and gingerly taking the strand of hair from me. "This is...dog hair."

"Yeah...I have a dog." I said, grinning at her. "Forgot to tell you that."

"You're lying," Yuna said cheerfully, and the room suddenly went silent. Even the air conditioning seemed to be holding its breath. "Your dog doesn't have black hair. I saw the picture of him."

"Alright, fine." I muttered. "...It was Rufus Shinra."

Yuffie dropped the glass of water she had been holding. It was thankfully plastic, but the water splashed everywhere. "You were talking to him?" The disgust she managed to put into that one word was rather astounding. It reminded me of what Squall had done earlier with Ultimecia and Sephiroth.

"He's nice." I said, feeling slightly confused. "Why are you all staring at me like that?"

"He's with them, the slimy bastard," Rikku said, making a disgusted face. "He can be charming when he wants to, I'm sure...he probably took a class on it."

"No, that's-" My voice faltered when I saw everyones' face. I stood up slowly. "...I-I need a moment." I bolted for the door, slamming it behind me as I ran down the hall, trying to make as little noise as possible. Why had I let my guard down?

My feet didn't stop until I reached the library, the doors and hallways all blurring into one mess as tears pricked my eyes. The door was propped open, and it was dark inside. I remembered the little alcoves on the third floor, and silently walked up the stairs. I was heading toward one in the far corner when I heard murmurings of voices. Curiosity piqued me, and I walked over, then recognized the spot as the one where Squall and I had run into Sephiroth and Ultimecia. That only made me even more interested.

I knelt down, grabbing a book and opening it to a random page and leaning my back against the wall. The voices started to become clearer.

"Rufus...you have to start arriving on time." A mocking voice echoed around the library.

"I arrive when I want to, Reno." The realization hit me like a cold bucket of ice water as I recognized the deep voice.

"Yeah, yeah, Mr. Vice President. What were you doin', going off being the giant ladies' man as usual?"

"Yes, it is usual for you to do that, Reno."

"Funnier to see you do it, since you're such a big shot and all -"

"Enough." I peeked in to see Sephiroth glaring at everyone. "Rufus, where were you?"

"Merely...greeting the new students." Rufus laughed, but it had no trace of friendliness in it this time. "I believe I've got myself on Ariana's good side."

"For now. How many classes do you have with her?"

"Four. It should be good enough." There was a pause, then Rufus said, "I asked her to be my dance partner for theater and dance. She accepted." A wolf-whistle pierced the silence of the library, and there was the sound of somebody clapping Rufus on the back.

I couldn't believe it. All of that just so they could get to me. "Make sure you don't get attached," Sephiroth said warningly.

"I won't," Rufus said with another one of those mean laughs. "She's too naive...not my type."

"You'd take anyone you can get," Reno replied snarkily. "What ended up happening with you and Cissnei?"

From the sound of Rufus's voice, I could tell he was scowling. "She's got a crush on Fair. I broke it off."

"She was a good bitch though. I woulda kept her."

"Yes, well...I couldn't trust her to work against that band of merry fools. But I think I'll go for a different approach this time."

"I suggest wrapping her around your finger and then slowly turning her against them." Ultimecia said, a smirk playing at her deep red lips.

"I know, I know," Rufus snapped. "Might be easier said than done, though...they've got a damn lot of people."

"Well, we can make sure some accidents happen." she replied. "...And make sure she doesn't fall for anyone else. I must say, she and Squall were a cute couple when I saw them yesterday. The two lowlifes are perfect for each other."

"He has the social skills of a slug," Rufus said disdainfully, "I can easily outdo him in that aspect."

Sephiroth spoke this time. "We could lock her up, or have someone stalk her, and then make you look like the hero. Works every time."

"I don't need your help," Rufus replied coldly. "I can do this myself. I'm not as inept as you'd like to think."

"I'm inclined to think that because your last attempt is now hanging out with Rhapsodos." Sephiroth growled.

"He's quite hilarious, actually," Rufus said lightly, chuckling, "You would know, you used to be friends with the whole lot of them...Hewley, Fair, Rhapsodos...you really don't like talking about that, do you?"

"Say one more word about that, and you won't have another chance." Sephiroth hissed.

"I remember that you wouldn't be here if it weren't for my company." Rufus replied calmly.

"Your company," Sephiroth sneered, taking a menacing step closer to Rufus. To his credit, he held his ground. "Don't talk to me like you're someone who has that much power over me. I answer to nobody, Shinra. Remember that."

"You'd listen to Hojo." Rufus said, leaning against the table and crossing his arms.

"I don't listen to that bastard," Sephiroth said dismissively. "I don't listen to anyone, and I think you'd better remember that if you want to be part of this group."

"You forget that you're just another experiment, one my father took under his wing." Rufus said, smirking. "And one of Hojo's, too. He does have your mother, after all."

Sephiroth clenched his fist as if to punch Rufus, but restrained himself at the last moment. "Screw you," he spat in a frighteningly hostile voice.

"Sephiroth..." Ultimecia cooed in a simpering voice, taking his arm. "You're all right."

"Get off me," he snapped, yanking his arm away. "And you..." He turned on his heel to face Rufus, his expression as dark as a nightmare. "You'd better prove yourself...otherwise you're just screwing yourself." With that, he stormed away from the meeting place, disappearing from sight behind a row of bookshelves.

I rapped on the door to my dorm room loudly; I had forgotten my keycard. "Somebody open up!" I shouted, pounding on the door.

Murmurs of, "Ari came back..." bounced around the room as I waited for somebody to come to the door. Finally, the lock clicked and Yuna pulled it open, smiling at me a bit timidly. "Welcome back...you've been gone for quite a while. Most people left." As I entered the room, I saw that only Tifa and Nila remained.

I marched inside, pacing back and forth down and up the length of the room. "...Oh, Hyne, this is bad..." I muttered to myself. I still hadn't formulated how I would explain what I had heard.

"...Did you run into Sephiroth and company again?" Tifa questioned, examining the look on my face.

I shook my head. "Not exactly." I stopped pacing and plunked down on my bed. "...I was eavesdropping on them in the library."

"And they didn't see you?" Yuna said incredulously, her multicolored eyes widening in shock. "That's amazing...they've lowered their security...what were they saying, anyways?"

"...They were talking about me. Apparently Rufus was sent to get me to lower my guard so I could be turned against you guys." I said quietly.

The three girls were shocked into silence. "Well, he's gonna have a hard time with that," Nila said stubbornly, crossing her arms. "You're not as stupid as they think, Ari."

"Don't you see?" I said exasperatedly. "I have to act stupid so they think they're winning. Maybe I can get the inside of things."

"I don't think you should do that," Tifa said, frowning deeply. "They're just being petty...it's best to ignore them and stay the hell away, that's what we've been doing all these years and we've been fine..."

"Tifa, there were some other things, too..." I said quietly. "Rufus's father helped Sephiroth, and they were talking about someone named Hojo."

Tifa and Yuna exchanged puzzled glances at the mention of the name, but Nila looked positively stricken; she froze as if someone had cast an ice spell on her. "...Nila?" I questioned, glancing at her. "...You okay?"

Nila slowly looked up at me, her brown eyes wide with terror. For a fleeting moment, she looked like a scared little girl who wanted to do nothing else but hide in her mother's arms. "Hojo...that's the man who killed my father."


End file.
